5 The AARP is the oldest and largest interest group focused completely on senior citizens, using its numbers and resources to persuade policy makers for the benefit of the members of the organization.

             The principle thrust of the AARP is to effectuate positive legislative action on the part of congress. The AARP"s size and clout make it the key interest groups advocating old-age interests. They concentrate their efforts in five major fields of policy concerns, medicare, social security, tax reform, long term care, and campaign finance reform.7 The group has proposed and lobbied for an initiative that "declares war" on Medicare fraud.8 The program relies on training seniors across the country to report and identify instances of fraud.9 The AARP has made federal help in buying coverage a demand in the Medicare debate. They, along with other old-age interests, however, have had to shift their role to a defensive one.11 The defeat of President Clinton"s health care reform package, which the AARP supported, dealt them a measurable political blow.12 The republican congressional take over of 1994 led to a scaling back of the federal government"s role, including programs designed to benefit seniors. The AARP believes big government to be essential to the welfare of seniors. This view comes in direct conflict with the Republican view stated in the "Contract With America", that individuals and businesses can make more effective use of funds than the governmental bureaucracy.13 An understanding of this fundamental philosophical distinction provides one with the perspective to understand the AARP"s opposition to the privatization of programs important to seniors. These programs include social security, which the AARP describes as its "number one issue", and Medicare.14 It also explains their fervent opposition to reductions in the rate of growth of the aforementioned programs.